Part of the trail has been closed for the past three months, while the water company installed a 42-inch water distribution main to Los Gatos. The work proceeded faster than expected, allowing the water company to open the trail at an earlier date, said Bob Day, director of customer service at the San Jose Water Company.

Runners and bike riders who use the trail regularly said the closure caused them some minor inconvenience.

"It hasn't really been a problem," said Kevin Kelly, a bicyclist.

The trail was closed from about Main Street in Los Gatos, running along Highway 17 to Lexington Dam, forcing users to take a less-appealing alternate route to the dam.

"It's good that the trail is open, because it makes a better loop," said Tim Watson, a San Jose resident who bikes in Los Gatos regularly. While the Highway 17 section was closed, bikers had to use the west side of the trail—a windier and more difficult portion of the pathway to ride. The closed section of the trail meets the west side at Lexington Dam, forming a circle.

The water company expects to close the trail once more for a few days in the spring in order to paint the water distribution main.